Dynamic façades in buildings: A systematic review across thermal comfort, energy efficiency and daylight performance

The impact of building sector on carbon mitigation has prompted an increased focus on the energy performance of the built environment. Conventional buildings often suffer from a decoupling effect between their static behaviour and the dynamic stimulus of external environment, which can affect energy performance. Therefore, there is a growing awareness that dynamic façades hold great potential for delivering substantial improvements in energy efficiency, enhancing thermal comfort and lighting conditions. The current study, targeted for architects, building designers and researchers, analyses the main trends and findings in dynamic façades research over the last five years, with a specific focus on improving three performance indicators: thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and daylight performance, through a bibliometric analysis and a systematic review. The research also explores the influence of climate and thermal inertia on these findings. Responsive systems have emerged as the primary focus of the research. Although less explored, adaptive dynamic façades have proven to be highly effective in improving overall performance. Moreover, climate zone analysis revealed that temperate climates were prioritized for dynamic façades research and demonstrated remarkable improvements in daylight performance, while arid climates can be distinguished for the enhancements in thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Concerning building thermal mass, there is a predominance of heavyweight solutions, as they reveal considerable advancements across the three performance indicators. Lastly, large-scale experiments are lacking because most studies are heavily dedicated to simulations and modelling. This highlights the need for additional research to bridge the gap between digital models and in-field experimental tests.